Key case



United States Patent KEY CASE Max Brunner, Chicago, 11].

Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,752

S Claims. (Cl. 70-456) This invention relates to key cases and, more particularly, it is concerned with the provision of an extremely compact key case which provides a maximum in key carrying capacity with a minimum in key case bulk.

Since the development of locks, in early days, the greatest difficulty attendant to their use has been the carrying of keys to open them. While the problem is a minor one when only one or two locks are involved, nevertheless the problem is generally recognized as a severe one when a large number of keys must be carried by the individual. With modern day living, and with a great increase in the possessions of individuals, such as for example, automobiles, garages, and better homes, the

' number of keys necessary for the average individual has greatly increased over that of years ago.

A common key case nowavailable, comprises a very large, bulky apparatus with a plurality of loops upon which individual keys may be placed for independent use. This type of key case is extremely unwieldy. Other alternatives have been to provide chains which are hooked to the belt and which permit the keys to lie loose in the pocket, and key rings which likewise permit the keys to be loose in. the pocket. These latter two devices are very undesirable since keys in the loose state tend to wear out the trouser pockets rapidly. Further the tendency of the keys to move loosely about on the key ring causes the keys to take up unnecessarily large space inthepocket.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a key case which will actually take up less space than the ordinary pack of book safety matches while at the same time providing space for as many as ten or twelve keys. In accomplishing this, applicant proposes the construction of a novel key which provides the standard lockoperating key area but which has a reduced head portion. In combination with this novel, practically headless, key, a key case is provided which will carry the keys in a retracted or in an extending position and which will combine with the key to provide a key-operating handle to replace the above mentioned eliminated key head.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel compact key case.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an extremely compact key case which provides a maximum in key carrying capacity and yet utilizes a minimum of space.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of .a combined key and key case combination in which the key case provides the operating handle for turning the key, rather than the usual head on the key.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of .a key case which will in its retracted position provide space for a plurality of keys, and which will partially separate to permit the utilization of any one of the above mentioned keys while at the same time retaining the unused keys in a stored, out-of-the-way, position.

A feature of the present invention is the utilization of a U-shaped frame having legs approximately the same size as the keys to be carried thereby.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a key case in which the keys are rigidly secured in a compact stored condition when not in use.

Still other and further objects of the present invention will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description and attached drawing in which several modifications of my invention are shown and described by way of illustration only.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a key;

Figure 2 is an isometric view showing the novel key case of the present invention with the keys mounted in position therein;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section, taken along the line III-III of Figure 2, and showing the keys in a stored condition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view, in partial cross section, of the key case of the present invention showing its use when one key is being utilized and the remaining keys are stored;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VV of Figure 4 and showing the parts in a position in which the key case is open to permit the manipulation of the keys therein into an operative position;

Figure 6 is a view in cross section taken along the line VIVI of Figure 4 and showing the construction of the side rail retaining means utilized therewith;

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the novel key case constructed according to the invention and showing the various parts in an unassembled position;

Figure 8 is a modified form of a key for use with the present key case;

Figure 9 is a cross section view taken along the line IX-IX of Figure 8 and emphasizing the construction of the key head;

Figure 10 is a modified form of side rail for utilization with the key case of the present invention; and

Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of the modified side rail as taken along the line XI-XI of Figure 10.

As shown on the drawings:

The usual household. door key utilized in such locks as the well known Yale tumbler type of lock is approximately 1 /13 inches from the tip of the key to the end of the lock operating portion which is indicated by an abutment stop. Such a key is shown in Figure 1 wherein the usual large key head 10 is shown connected to a lock operating shank 11. Since the axial position of the key within the lock is critical in most locks, abutment stops 12 are almost universally provided to prevent over-insertion of the key into the lock. Aperture 13 is provided in the head 10 to permit the attachment of the key to the usual key ring or prior art key case.

As explained above, this type of key provides many disadvantages and one of the purposes of the present invention is to improve its construction to eliminate the above mentioned undesirable features. This is accomplished by removing the entire head portion except that of the area within the dotted lines 14 and by drilling an aperture indicated by the dotted lines 15. While this may, of course, be accomplished by reworking a key constructed according to the solid outline of Figure 10,

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kinds of deterits could be utilized, and the detent struc ture herein shown is intended merely as anillustration of one of the simpler forms of construction which can readily be utilized. i

While, as explained above, keys for use in combination with the novel key case of the present invention may be made with small heads originally at the key factory, it will often occur that persons will desire to have the keys which they already own utilized with the present key case. Since the grooves found in' the usual household keys extend beyond the stop portions 12 of the key, it is sometimes found difficult to drill a hole 15 in its desired spot. Further, these grooves interfere with the free pivotal movement of the keys on the cylinder 26, especially when a full complement of keys is positioned on the cylinder. Therefore, it is contemplated that a modified form of the key be utilized in such instances.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a cap 40 is provided. This cap is constructed of rectangular tubing having an internal channel which is substantially equal to the external dimensions of the usual key blade or shank. The key may then be cut off slightly in back of the stops 12, and the head 40 may be slid over the extension of the key shank and soldered or otherwise permanently bonded thereto. in view of the smooth external surface presented by the sides of the head 40, no catching or interference is possible between keys and it has been found that keys placed upon the cylinder 26 and having this type of head construction pivot very easily and provide a. very desirable action.

In the event a key with 'a cap 40 is used apart from the case of Fig. 2, a coin can be inserted in the slot of the cap to act as a head for rotating the key in a lock.

A consideration of the keys utilized with the present key case will of course immediately reveal that with the elimination of the large head portion of the ordinary key, the operating portion generally actuated by the fingers is also eliminated. This is a ditliculty which is also overcome by utilization of the key with the key case of the present invention. It will be immediately clear from a consideration of Figures 2 and 4, that the rigid structure of the housing and cylinder 26 when assembled and in retracted position will provide the necessary handle for rotating the key. In fact, since the frame of the key case is somewhat larger than the area of the ordinary key head, the key case provides an improved operating means for rotating the key which is actually stronger and more satisfactory than the enlarged key 'heads found on the ordinary key of today.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a key case which will provide an absolute maximum of key carrying capacity with an absolute minimum of key case space. This is clearly true since the cross section area as shown in Figure 3, of the key case in its contracted or storing condition is substantially the same as the key itself. Since there is no waste space at the sides of the stored keys, between the outside keys and the side channels 20, it is clear that the key case of the present invention provides the ultimate in storage efficiency. Further, by the combination with this key case of a simplified key utilizing no enlarged head portion, it is possible to provide an extremely small outer dimension which will not be a nuisance in the trouser pocket.

Modifications may, of course, be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is therefore not intended that the invention be limited except as required by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A key case, said key case comprising a U-shaped housing having a pair of legs connected at one end by a concave bight portion and providing a pair of channels, and a key carrying assembly slidably mounted in said channels, said assembly having a pair of longitudinal side rails reciprocable in said channels, support means extending between said side rails and fixedly secured to at least one of said side rails whereby keys may be pivotally mounted on said support means for positioning in a stored or operating condition in which said support means and side rails are reciprocated to an extreme position toward said bight in which keys carried by said key case assembly extend into said concave bight portion or in a key changing position in which the support is reciprocated to an extreme position away from said bight, and cooperating restraining means on the legs and said key carrying assembly operative to hold said key carrying assembly in its extreme positions relative to said bight portion upon movement of the key carrying assembly to such extreme positions.

2. A key case comprising a generally rectangular frame having a pair of oppositely disposed telescopic sides, a third side having a cavity extending therealong in the face thereof which lies in the inside of the rectangle and having a width substantially equal to that of the operating portions of the keys to be used in said key case, and a fourth side having support means for pivotally securing a key, said fourth side being slidable toward and away from said third side by telescoping said pair of sides to thereby permit the key to be stored within said rectangle with its lock operating end in said cavity or pivoted around said fourth side for use, and cooperating restraining means associated with said pair of oppositely disposed telescopic sides to hold said fourth side in its extreme telescopic positions relative to said third side after movement into such respective positions.

3. A key case, said key case comprising a U-shaped housing having a pair of legs connected at one end by a concave bight portion and providing a pair of channels, and a key carrying assembly slidably mounted in said channels, said assembly having a pair of longitudinal side rails reciprocable in said channels, support means extending between said side rails and fixedly secured to at least one of said side rails whereby keys may be pivotally mounted on said support means for positioning in a stored or operating condition in which said support means and side rails are reciprocated to an extreme position toward said bight portion in which keys carried by said key case assembly extend into said concave bight portion or in a key changing position in which the support means is reciprocated to an extreme position away from said bight portion, said legs having an initial unstressed divergent position relative to the axes of the side rails thereby providing a resilient friction producing spring bias against said longitudinal side rails after deformation of the legs into assembled sliding position on the side rails.

4. A key case, said key case comprising a U-shaped housing having a pair of legs connected at one end by a concave bight portion and providing a pair of channels, and a key carrying assembly slidably mounted in said channels, said assembly having a pair of longitudinal side rails reciprocable in said channels, support means extending between said side rails whereby keys may be pivotally mounted on said support means for positioning in a stored or operating condition in which said support means and side rails are reciproctaed to an extreme posi-' tion toward said bight portion in which keys carried by said support means extend into said concave bight portion or in a key changing position in which the support means is reciprocated to an extreme position away from said bight portion, at least one of said side rails having a detent thereon engageable with retaining means in a respective leg channel at both extremes of movement of said side rail.

5. A key case comprising a generally rectangular frame having a pair of oppositely disposed telescopic sides, a third side having a cavity extending therealong in the face thereof which lies in the inside of the rectangle, and having a width substantially equal to that of the operating portions of the keys to be used in said key case, and a fourth side having support means for pivotally securing a ',5'6,% key, Said fourth side being slidabl'e' towafci first end 'ecind" siri's zit Edfli extremes of mdvcment of said' third si'de-by'telescopin'g sa'id pair of sides to. thereby said fourthisifie'. permit the key'to be stored wi'thi'n saidi rectangIe with "its lock operating end in said cavlty or pivoted around satd References Cited m the file of fins pate fourth side for use, and retaining means operative to 5' 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS maintain said fourth side in its extreme positions relative 1,815,209 Nikdgiow July 21, 1931 to said third side, said" last named means comprising al 2,482,623 Ka miner Sept. 20, 1949 detent mounted for movement with said fourth si'd'e' and 2,589,571 Queen Mar. 18, 1952 engageable with retaining means in at least due of said 1 2,605,632 Lamonde Aug. 5, 1952 

